Bilbray campaign officials did not quibble with the poll results but noted that the seven-term stalwart’s campaign has not yet launched.

Peters, fresh from a trip to Washington where he met with Democratic Party leaders, political analysts and national media, is touting an internal poll showing the race essentially tied at 40 percent, including those leaning toward either candidate, with 19 percent undecided.

A separate poll taken on behalf of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee shows the contest tied at 45 percent. The poll had Peters holding a 1-point edge among independents and a 22-point lead among moderates. Bilbray had a 19-point edge in name identification.

“Once voters are introduced to each candidate through balanced positive profiles, Peters opens up a 50-45 percent lead and he maintains a small 46-45 percent advantage following balanced negative information,” the polling memo from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research stated.

The poll of 401 likely voters was taken July 29-31 and had a 4.9-point margin of error.

The race for the 52nd Congressional District has received attention from The New York Times, Washington Post and several Capitol Hill publications.

Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, has ranked the race as a tossup, but tilting in Bilbray’s favor.

On Monday, he called Peters a “polished politician who knows how to respond to questions and criticisms and demonstrate his knowledge of policy.... He should give (Bilbray) a real run for his money in November.”

Meanwhile, both sides are gearing up for well funded air wars.

The National Republican Congressional Committee reserved $1.7 million in fall television time in its bid to help protect the incumbent.

Democrats have so far been more aggressive.

The DCCC reserved $1.65 million in the local media market while a super PAC designed to help the party recapture a House majority reserved $1.2 million.

Peters’ campaign has reserved more than $1 million in fall TV time.

A Bilbray campaign consultant this week gave a hint of what kind of negative attacks might come forth about Peters, a San Diego City Council member who participated in decisions to grant employee benefits that Bilbray has criticized as overly generous.

“He can double the millions that he’s crowing about today and it’s still not going to mask the horrible decisions that he made as a city councilman and council president that got us the $2 billion unfunded pension liability that the city is struggling to get out from under today,” said the consultant, Jason Roe.

Peters has acknowledged that his vote to boost benefits while putting less into the pension system was a mistake, but has emphasized reforms he helped put in place afterwards. He has pointed to negotiating a new pension plan to save the city $23 million a year.